Common sense, responsibility vital to wildfire prevention

May 10, 2011

Local wildfire incidents are higher this year compared to the same time last year. Rangers from the Caloosahatchee Forestry Center need your help to keep wildfires from threatening the area. Rangers, in partnership with area fire departments and other agencies, have already run more calls in Collier, Lee and Hendry counties than they have last year.

Here’s how local Division of Forestry numbers compare from Jan. 1-May 2, to the same time last year:

Collier County: 33 wildfires so far this year compared to 16 last year;

Lee County: 33 wildfires so far this year compared to 24 last year; and Hendry County: 19 wildfires so far this year compared to 11 last year.

May is typically one of the busiest months for wildfires in Southwest Florida and we anticipate these numbers will increase until the rainy season arrives in June. Common sense and personal responsibility are vital to ensure you and your family members are safe from wildfires. Dry, dead vegetation doesn’t need much to turn into a wildfire that threatens homes — a hot lawnmower, an overheated ATV engine, a property owner who insists on burning yard debris or even a curious, unsupervised child.

However, most of these wildfires are preventable, and you can significantly reduce your risk with a few easy tips:

Collier, Lee and Hendry counties have at least two years of dry, dead vegetation on the ground that was killed off by our winter weather. Last year’s earlier rains kept many wildfires at bay. Our counties are drier than ever this year, and we need your help to reduce wildfire risk.

Please contact us with questions. We are happy to provide guidance to our residents about how they can make their properties safe from wildfires. We offer free, personalized advice for individuals and neighborhoods.